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woe

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woe

[woh]
–noun
1. grievous distress, affliction, or trouble: His woe was almost beyond description.
2. an affliction: She suffered a fall, among her other woes.
–interjection
3. an exclamation of grief, distress, or lamentation.

Origin:
bef. 900; ME wo (interj. and n.), OE (interj.) (cf. wellaway ); c. D wee, G Weh, ON vei, L vae


1. anguish, tribulation, trial, wretchedness, melancholy. See sorrow.


1. joy.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
Cite This Source Link To woe
woe   (wō)   
n.  
  1. Deep distress or misery, as from grief; wretchedness. See Synonyms at regret.

  2. Misfortune; calamity: economic and political woes.

interj.  Used to express sorrow or dismay.

[Middle English wa, wo, from Old English , woe!.]
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Word Origin & History

woe 
O.E. wa, a common exclamation of lament in many languages (cf. L. væ, Gk. oa, Ger. weh, Lettish wai, O.Ir. fe, Welsh gwae, Armenian vay). The noun is attested from c.1175, from the interjection.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2001 Douglas Harper
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